Common iSketch Questions (and Answers)

Seeing as we have had a fair number of newbies join the forum and a fair few raised questions in the past about common issues with iSketch, I thought that I would provide a list of common solutions. If your question is not listed here then your best bet is to contact Feedback, either by clicking the Feedback button on the main iSketch game page, or by sending an e-mail to support@isketch.net.

Logging on

Q: My chosen username is not being accepted or is changed when I log on. Why is this?

A: There are a few possible solutions. Firstly, the name you want may already be in use. If this happens, choose another. Secondly, the server will only allow a maximum of 12 characters in a username. If you use non-English standard letters like ß and ı, or letters with accents or special characteristics like á and ç, these won't be accepted and will be automatically changed to a period (.) by the server upon login.
Also if you choose a username that contains the word "Admin", it will be changed to Moron, so it's advisable not to use this series of characters
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Q: How can I register for iSketch?

A: Currently, registrations are not yet readily available and at present have only been given to iSketch Admins and a few others. By joining this forum or by becoming a regular player on iSketch doesn't register you on iSketch itself. This does mean that you can choose any username that you wish any time you want to play, provided it has not been previously registered. You won't need a password when you log in unless you are registered.
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Q: I can't log on and I receive a message saying "Connection refused! You are blocked/banned from the game". Why am I getting this?

A: It is most likely that you or someone using your computer has been kicked out by an iSketch Admin. If the message says "blocked" then your removal is temporary and could last anywhere from several minutes to several days depending on the severity of the infraction. If the message says "banned" then your removal is permanent. It is also possible that you have a dynamic IP address which has been assigned to an IP that has been blocked/banned. You can contact Feedback for more details about this server message.
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Q: I can't log on and I receive a message saying "Connection problems...". How can I fix this?

A: Follow the subsequent list. After each item, check to see if you can log on. If not, move on to the next item in the list.

Check you are actually connected to the Internet.

Check you have the latest browser version and clear your browser's cache.

A: This usually means that you are a newbie to iSketch. It's also possible to have this newbie dot if you have a new computer. To remove the dot you need to play a few games over a period of a few days. Players who do not have this newbie dot are referred to as "regulars" of the game.
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Q: I have seen people with profile information such as profile image, age, location and a quote. How can I add mine to my profile?

A: You can add this information by clicking the "Settings" button near the top of the game window and then select the "Personal Information" tab. Add your information here and then click "Done" to save. When adding a profile image, make sure the URL points directly to the image. You can also add the URL without entering the Settings page by simply typing /icon followed by your icon's direct URL.
For example: /icon http://www.example.com/myiconurl
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Q: I want to change my profile picture but I get an error message when opening the "Personal Information" tab. How can I fix this?

A: The most likely reason for the error message is that your previous image URL contains a dead link. Simply typing /icon with no URL after it before clicking the "Settings" button will remove the current image and should allow you to enter the "Personal Information" tab to edit as normal.
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Q: Can I be notified if a friend logs on to iSketch?

A: Yes. Your buddy list can contain up to 10 usernames of your choice. To add a name to the list simply click "Settings" then select the "Buddy List" tab. Enter each new name on a separate line. When a friend logs on you'll receive a notification in red text like this:

YourFriend has just logged on! Clickhereto invite them to this room.​

If your friend is already online when you logon, you'll get a notification like this:

The user "YourFriend" is in "English Easy UK 5"​

You can also click the blue underlined room name to join the room that they are in, but only if the room is not full.
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Q: How do I send a message to someone in a different room?

A: You would type

/msg YourFriend This is my message.​

If you did it right the chatbox will go a shade of blue and your private message will be shown in a blue font like this:

Q: I have seen people "remind someone not to violate drawing rules" and "vote to kick someone out of the room". How do these work?

A: iSketch has a voting system so that players can skip/kick rule violators without the immediate need for admin intervention. If you are a newbie (i.e. have a • symbol next to your username), then the voting privilege is not yet available to you. If you have the privilege to vote, you should see a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark (!) inside it (), situated above the drawing canvas. Clicking this button will alert an iSketch Admin of a rule infraction on the drawing canvas and will also display a message like this:

Player1 reminds Player2 not to violate drawing rules.​

In order to vote to remove a player for being rude, cheating, or any other reason, you can vote to kick them. Just click and hold on the username in question from the list of usernames in the room to bring up a small menu, hover over the word "Boot" and then release the click. Then select the most appropriate option from the list given. If you are unsure of which option to choose, select "Other reason". If this procedure is performed correctly you'll see a message like this:

Player1 voted to kick Player2 out of the room.​

Always have a legitimate reason for voting, otherwise your voting privilege may be revoked.
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Q: I have played lots of games and yet I haven't received the voting privilege. Why is this?

A: The server requires you to have played a certain number of games and to have played for at least a couple of weeks. It is set up like this so that vote abuse (intentional and non-intentional) is minimised. All players are required to have read the rules before joining the game, so by the time the vote is acquired, the rules should be fully understood. When you have satisfied both conditions above, you'll receive a message like this:

Congratulations! You are now an iSketch regular. You now have the privilege to vote...
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Q: I recently received the privilege to vote, but I can't see the voting triangle. How can I fix this?

A: If you don't see the triangle, which should be above the drawing canvas, then you'll most likely need to refresh the page. Clicking the "Settings" button near to the iSketch logo in the top left corner of the game window and then clicking "Done" will refresh the page without interrupting the current game.
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Q: How can I call an iSketch Admin for assistance?

A: If an infraction of the rules has occurred or is currently occurring, use your vote. If you don't have the voting privilege, you can private message an admin by using the /msg [username] [message] command. However, you'll need to know the name of an admin for this to work.
For example: /msg iSketchAdmin Can I have some help please?
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Q: Someone broke the rules and I voted. How come an iSketch Admin is not doing anything about it?

A: There are several possible reasons for this.

It could be that no admins are online at the time of your vote. The voting feature is set up so that rooms can be self-policed with no immediate need for an admin to attend if none are available. It usually takes 3 votes for someone to be skipped or removed from the room.

The admins who are online are dealing with a situation elsewhere. The iSketch admins endeavour to assist with every vote if they can. Don't forget there are many other rooms that admin attend to if needed, not just the one you are in.

An admin may have responded to your call, but admins do not have to publicise their presence in the room. Rule offenders sometimes get sent a private message to warn them of their behaviour before any action is taken. Point deductions and kicks by an admin are publicly announced to the room, whereas private messages are only for the intended recipient, so it may seem to others that nothing is happening and yet an admin is actually responding.

In all cases, please be patient, the offender(s) usually get their just desserts.
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Q: How do I create my own room so I can play iSketch with my friends?

A: From the lobby, click on "Create Room". Select the parameters such as number of rounds, time to draw, number of words to draw, wordlist to use etc. then click "Create". You'll then be redirected to your room where you can invite your friends using the /invite [username] command. As room creator you will become its operator. For more information about user-created and operator room commands click here.
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General Enquiries

Q: Are the admins/moderators on this forum part of the iSketch admin team?

A: No. iSketch Forum has no official affiliation with iSketch itself, we are instead an iSketch fan forum. We do have members of this forum who are iSketch admins, but they cannot help with any official business here at this forum. We also support a no iSketch admin naming policy here for the privacy of those iSketch admins who wish to remain anonymous.
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Q: I'd like to become an iSketch admin. How do I apply?

A: You can apply by sending an e-mail to Feedback (support@isketch.net). They will then reply to you with all the information you need.
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Q: I e-mailed Feedback but I haven't yet received a proper reply. Is there anything else I can do?

A: When you send an e-mail to Feedback you will normally receive two replies. The first will arrive after just a few minutes and will confirm that they have received your e-mail. The second will be the actual response addressing your particular query. Feedback endeavours to answer all e-mails, but the time it takes for them to reply to your question varies depending on type of query and volume of queries. The best thing to do is wait for a week or so, then reply again.
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